We Are Broken
by TheDoctorsConstantCompanion
Summary: It's after Doomsday and Rose is doing everything she can to get back. An unexpected visitor arrives, plans are put on hold.
1. Chapter 1

Her days had become routine. Wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, go to work, come home, continue work at home, eat, shower, go to sleep. In that order. It was monotonous, but Rose Tyler knew it was necessary. How could she be happy when he was still out there? If she hadn't let go of that lever... Every waking moment revolved around the dimension cannon, finding a way to punch a hole through the very fabric of the universe. Rose had to get back. To get out of 'Pete's World' and to find the Doctor, her Doctor.

Blueprints and pages of equations were strewn across her desk, each paper thumbed and worn from the endless hours being poured over them. Rose had gotten her own flat, closer to Torchwood than the manor Pete owned, so her nights were spent alone. One wall of the flat was made almost entirely of windows, so when the day was done and the moon came out, she could see the stars and shadows of the galaxy from wherever she was. This night, like every other night, she sat with her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, her eyes growing more and more tired as she poured over a large book of constellations. Rose tucked a stray piece of blonde hair back behind her ear, the rest was piled in a bun atop her head. She bit her thumb anxiously as she studied the sketches of the night sky. Something was wrong here. Perhaps...

She stood, bringing her tea with her as she stood in front of the windows. The same London skyline as the one she grew up with, but it was still different. Not hers. She crossed one arm across her chest, hugging her side as she brought the mug up to her lips. There was something about the stars.

"If the Doctor was here, he'd know." The words came out without a thought. Rose blinked twice, biting her lip. She was about to turn away, silently cursing herself, when a flash burned against the darkness. She whipped back round, pressing her nose against the glass to see as the light faded into the distance. It was nothing, she told herself. A shooting star, perhaps. Extraterrestrial activity had been almost nonexistent as of late, there was no reason why that would change now. She crossed to the kitchen, setting her mug in the sink to clean another time. Her face fell into her hands as she rested her elbows on the counter. A sort of tension spread across her body, something that always happened when she let herself let go of her composure. She could feel her nails digging into her face, leaving angry marks on the pale skin.

And at once, Rose let it go. She stood straight, hands swinging loosely at her sides. She was stronger than this, the Doctor had made her stronger than she had ever thought she could be. And she couldn't let herself lose what little she had left of him, even the parts of him that were a part of her. This was enough for one night. Rose strode out of the kitchen and through the living room into her bedroom, switching off the lights on the way. After a quick brush of the teeth and change into pajamas, she slid into her bed. It took a long time to actually fall asleep, as always. Her mind was just always so alive. She had taken to replaying memories in her head, like her favourite scenes from a movie. Tonight, she remembered the first time they met. The ordinary day that became extraordinary. And soon enough, she was asleep, with an easy smile spread across her face.

_**RIIINNGGG RIIINNGGG**_

"Bloody hell..." Rose turned over, opening her bleary eyes to face her alarm clock.

07:53 am.

"_Damn!" _she tore out of bed, opening her still ringing phone and lifting it to her ear as she grabbed a pair of jeans from her dresser.

"Mornin' sunshine. Have a good sleep then?" said the voice on the other end.

"Mickey, oh Mickey, I'm so sorry, I know I'm late. I'm on my way in...give me ten minutes." Rose grimaced as she pulled on one leg of her jeans, followed by the other.

"Hey, hey, it's all good. I've gotcha covered. But we got a new arrival last night. Thought it'd be something you'd want to see." Mickey sounded amused.

"A new arrival? Alien?" She switched the phone from one ear to the other as she put on a pair of socks.

"Seems like it. I mean, he looks human and everything, but he literally fell out of the sky. As in, there was no sign of a ship. Just him."

"Has he said anything? Can he speak English?" Rose rushed as she finished getting ready.

"Nothing yet. Haven't found a way to get him to talk. Anyway, I'll fill you in on the rest when you get here."

"Sounds good. See you soon." She hung up, grabbing a muffin from the pantry and jacket from the closet as she slid on her shoes before heading out the door.

The ride to Torchwood Institute seemed longer than normal. An alien, a humanoid, probably intelligent alien was here. It was always exciting. News from other planets, possible trades, aliens always had something to give. As long as they were Weevils, she thought, it was almost definitely going to be interesting.

Rose had no idea how right she was.

When she finally arrived, the Institute was already bustling with activity. The day always started early with these people. She found Mickey walking down the hall and placed a hand on his strong shoulder. He smiled and pointed down, towards the basement of the building.

"They're keeping him in a cell downstairs. Wanna see?"

Rose threw a glance down the hall at her office. They were getting close to a breakthrough with the dimension cannon, she could feel it. But the temptation of a new alien was always enough for her. She nodded toward Mickey, and they headed down the elevator to the basement.

Stepping out into the hall she could feel the change in temperature from upstairs. The entire floor seemed deserted, save a UNIT guard standing in front of one of the rooms. She glanced at Mickey questioningly. He gave her a reassuring nod and gestured for her to walk toward the guard.

"Hello there," she said nervously as she stepping in front of the handsome man in a red cap. He looked familiar, she must've seen him before.

" 'ello Ms. Tyler. Visting?" He smiled easily. That did it, they must've met before.

"Indeed I am, Roger," Rose smiled as well. She remembered him now, he had become friends with Jake Simmonds when he joined with Torchwood as well.

Roger turned and opened the door with a specialized key card. A light blinked and the door swung open, revealing a room that was split in two. A plane of glass showed the farther side of the room that held a bed, toilet and sink. Seated on the bed on the other side was a man. The closer side held only a chair.

Rose was intrigued by the man. She stepped slowly into the room, sitting on the chair and regarding him silently. Mickey stayed in the doorway, striking up a conversation with Roger while continuously glancing back at Rose.

The man on the bed lifted his head slowly. He was dressed, there was no other word for it, regally. All black and green, with a gold band loose around his neck, he appeared to be wearing a sort of armored robe. His hair, black as the night sky, was slicked back and striking against his pale skin. And his eyes, they were impossible. A sort of mixture of the blue of a clear summer day and the gray of a storm cloud that had just started brewing. And they were staring at her.

Rose was suddenly very conscious of herself. Aware of the fact that the only thing she had done with her hair was brush it with her fingers while she drove over. But it was more than that. She felt he could see _into _her. He could see that she belonged here about as much as he did.

"M-my name is Rose. Rose Tyler." She had to say something. The silence had been long and unbearable. She said it slowly, unsure of whether he would understand. She didn't expect him to respond.

The man's head tilted slightly as he regarded what she had said. Rose still couldn't tell if he knew the language. He was such a brilliant mystery. And then he stood. It was a fast, graceful motion. One second he was sitting and the next he towered over Rose, who was still seated in her chair. One of his hands came up to rest on the glass while the other was hidden behind his back. His head was still on an angle as he stared down at her.

"Good morning, Rose. I am Loki, of Asgard.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good morning, Rose. I am Loki, of Asgard."

She was frozen to her seat, eyes glued to the enormous man leaning against the glass. Mickey twisted in the door way, almost falling over his own feet as he stepped further into the room. Roger rushed in behind him, reaching into his pocket for a communication device. The man, who claimed to be called Loki, flickered his eyes toward Roger as he started whispering hurriedly to someone over the phone, demanding that they come see what was happening. It was only for a quick moment though, before Loki returned his eyes to Rose.

Rose could see Mickey looking quizzically between the two of them, wondering what had happened that finally prompted him to talk. But she didn't care, nothing had actually happened. She was lost in the man's eyes; she could see that he was an old soul and could see the pain and experience she had only seen in one other person's eyes before. Her heart started to pound heavily in her chest. The sound of rushing footsteps echoed through the halls as other members of Torchwood approached the room to see the change in events. Soon the small room was crammed with people, all staring at Loki. And after that, they stared at Rose when they realized she was what the alien was interested in. An old friend, Jake, stepped forward from the group until he was directly in front of the man.

"What's your business here?" Jake stood firm, although the top of his head only seemed to come to the man's chin.

Loki shifted his gaze slowly toward Jake, withdrawing his hand from the glass. He stepped back, taking in the sight of the audience he'd acquired. His eyebrows arched slightly, the edge of his mouth twitched as if it wanted to smile. He was amused. It only lasted a few seconds as he returned his line of sight to Rose. His face smoothed over and he turned to sit back on his bed. It was obvious that he was ending the event he'd just begun. The members of Torchwood looked at each other, murmuring as Jake turned on his foot and exited the room. Soon the whole crowd followed suit, and Rose could hear them discussing whether they should risk running tests on the alien. Was he dangerous?

If he was anything like the man he reminded her so much of, then yes. He is very dangerous.

Mickey was still in the room with Rose, a worried look plastered to his face. He wanted to leave, she could tell. He thought that it was a bad idea to have brought her here. But she didn't want to go. She wanted to get Loki to talk. She knew in her heart that he wouldn't unless she was alone. Finally, Rose tore her eyes away from the man on the bed and looked at Mickey. She realized he wouldn't leave her down here alone. And she had work to do.

"Time for work then, I guess, eh?" She said nervously, keeping her eyes away from the plane of glass.

"Let's go." Mickey's voice was gruff as he extended a hand for her to take. Rose placed her hand in his, getting up from the chair. Together they left the basement without a backward glance at the strange, beautiful man.

Nine hours later, Rose arrived back in her flat. She threw her keys down in the bowl on the table by the door, breathing out a sigh. Everyday, from 7:30 to 4:30 she was working on a way to get back. Everyday, she came home disappointed with what she had done. There was so much they didn't know. So much knowledge the Doctor would know that she never could figure out on her own.

Walking to her desk, she picked up the astronomy book she had been pouring over the night before, bringing it with her as she collapsed on the couch in front of the television. Turning it on, she flipped to some mindless reality show that distracted her from her own thoughts. Aimlessly she leafed through the book, stopping every couple of pages to admire a certain constellation she had never seen in the London night sky. Outside her windows it grew steadily darker, until the only light she could read by came from her t.v. Rose lifted her hand to her face, chewing absentmindedly on her thumb, her eyebrows furrowing. She turned off the television and stood up, walking to her wall of windows once again. Something was frustrating her. She just couldn't figure out what it was exactly, frustrating her further.

A sharp ringing cut through her desperate thinking, tearing through the silence in the flat. Rose turned quickly, her phone was a lit on the coffee table. She quickly flipped it open, lifting it to her ear.

"You've reached Rose."

"Rose, it's Mickey. You won't believe this." came the voice on the other end.

"What is it, Mickey? This is hardly the time for a social call." She glanced at the box beneath her t.v. It was nearly midnight.

"He's gone. The alien we saw today. Vanished."

Rose stood silently for a moment. There was no way. Nothing escaped from Torchwood Institute.

"We checked all the cameras," Mickey went on, "One minute he was there and everything was normal and the next... the tapes went all wonky and he was gone."

This Loki really was special, wasn't he. She began pacing around her living room, staring out at the night sky, deep in thought.

"R-Rose? You still there?"

"Hmm, oh yeah. I'm here. I just... can't believe it." It was true. It shouldn't be possible. And yet, it happened.

"No one can. We're surveying the surrounding area, agents are casing the neighbourhoods, but we've got no idea where he could've gone. Or where he would've gone. So just... lock your door, alright?" Mickey was sounding protective. It was cute.

"Of course, Mickey. You should get home though, get some sleep. Alright?"

"Will do. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight." Rose closed the phone and tossed it onto the couch. She couldn't help but be impressed. The first alien to escape from Torchwood. At least, the first one in this reality.

She walked back over to her front door. She knew she'd locked it when she came home, but something about how worried Mickey was made her want to double check. She lay her hand on the knob and turned, expecting it to lock in place. It didn't. The door swung open easily. She shut it quickly, twisting the lock and shoving the deadbolt in place. That shouldn't be possible. Rose spun around, her heartbeat quickening and her breath becoming shallow. Her flat looked ominous in the dark now, every shadow seemed to move in the moonlight. Reaching to her side, she grabbed the decorative bowl she kept her bits and bobs in and flipped it up side down, emptying it of its' contents. Then, wielding the bowl like a weapon, she crept forward, flipping on every light switch in her flat until the whole place was flooded in light. Turning on the spot she saw every inch of the apartment, and saw nothing out of place. Relieved, she went back to the door and put the bowl down. But as Rose turned back around, something in the corner of her eye moved.

"Who's there?" she said confidently, standing up straight.

A green and black-clad figure came out of the kitchen, holding a glass of water.

"You are more observant than I had thought you would be. Congratulations." His voice was silky smooth, a low rasp that chilled Rose to her core.

She was staring straight into the eyes of Loki once more.


	3. Chapter 3

She was staring straight into the eyes of Loki once more.

"You aren't supposed to be here." the words were out of Rose's mouth before she could stop them. It was the first thing that came to mind and now her cheeks burned as the blood rushed up to them.

He smiled, chuckling softly to himself. His fingers tapped along the glass he held in his hand. She was confused about how she didn't hear him running the water or helping himself through her cupboards. The thought scared her.

"You're right. I don't. Not in this place of living, not in this realm. But then again," he pointed towards Rose, his grin widening knowingly, "neither do you, it seems."

She clenched her teeth. There was no way this man could know. But she still couldn't come up with a way to answer him without letting him know that he was right. Unfortunately, the silence was enough.

"So I am correct. It happens more often than not, I confess." Loki let out a soft laugh, beginning to walk around the apartment, taking in the few pictures Rose had put on the side tables and the landscape painting above the couch. "That leaves the question of, where do you really belong then, Rose Tyler?"

Rose blinked quickly, shaking her head slightly. She had to get herself together. There was no way she could let this man, this strange man, under her skin.

"Parallel dimension. Understand that?" There. That was something. She said words.

Loki turned to face her, his robes swirling and threatening to knock a mug off the coffee table. His eyebrows shot up his forehead, his smile gone.

"I do understand. Another universe. Somehow, you got from one to another. How?" His voice had turned intense, his eyes boring into hers. The conversation suddenly turned hostile. He stalked forward, walking sharply yet gracefully, until he was right before her.

"I-uh... It's a long story." Rose said, her voice shaking. Her eyebrows furrowed as her back pressed up against the door. Memories started to flood into her mind, memories she didn't want to remember. Couldn't remember, because it made her eyes mist over. _Dammit Rose,_ she thought, _not now. Anytime but now._

Loki stepped back. His expression softened as he lifted his free hand to stroke his jaw.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just- I need to know. I have time."

Rose stayed in place against the door. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She closed her eyes hard, bowing her head against her chest. _Just don't think about it. Don't. Think. _But she had to. She couldn't think of a way she could get through this without telling him what happened. He found her, out of all of London, he found her and probably wouldn't leave until she told him. Maybe she could distract him...

"Well, how did you get here? You're not from here, and you didn't have a ship. That shouldn't be possible. The descent through the atmosphere alone-" She cut herself off. She was rambling in a desperate attempt to keep her mind away from Bad Wolf Bay.

Loki didn't look pleased. His jaw set and he motioned towards her couches. Rose hesitated a moment. She could turn the handle of the door right now and leave. She could run. But where would she go? To Pete and Jackie? He would just find her there, and there's no way she was going to put her mother in danger. Besides, Rose didn't run. The fact that running had even crossed her mind was shaming. Slowly, she peeled herself from the door and sat down.

"I'm from a very different place." Loki started as he sat in the armchair across from Rose. "My universe is divided into realms. I am from Asgard, the..." he struggled for a relevant term she could understand, "kingdom of the realms. I was king, before an event took place and well, here I am." He gestured with his arms. "This is the place we call Midgard. The bridge between the realms was shattered in the event, and I could not bear to stay with my 'family'." He said the word bitterly, like the very thought of them disgusted him and broke his heart at once. He leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on his knees and hands rubbing together. "I am stuck here, and seeing as you must have had a method of travel, I hope for your help." Loki lifted his head to face Rose, a pained and lonely expression painted across his features.

Rose chewed on her inner lip. Something had happened to this man, a royal man, and it had tore through him. Sort of like what had happened to her. The way she had gotten here was taken from her and she was broken in the process. Sitting here, in her messy flat with the night sky twinkling behind him, Rose realized that she and Loki were both broken in a way. An 'event' had happened that left them empty. And she doubted that this was something he would go telling people he just met,usually. As she mulled this over, she realized that he was still waiting for a response.

"I had no idea," she began, pulling her legs up onto the couch, resting her chin on her knees. "I'm...sorry."

"You're sorry? It wasn't your fault, why should you apologize?" His expression was puzzled.

"Oh, problem phrase... It's just something we say here, like a way of showing support, I suppose." Rose explained awkwardly.

"Oh..." Loki nodded slowly, then gave her a look that said he wished for her to continue.

Rose took a deep, shaky breath. And then, for the first time since she had arrived in Pete's world, she told the story. Unlike Loki, who obviously gave her the bare minimum, she said everything. The Daleks and the Cybermen, the hole in the universe, and the dimension jumpers. The entire time she was talking, she couldn't believe she was saying this to someone she had just met. Someone who had escaped from a building that shouldn't be escapable.

"...and so now we're trying to build a dimension cannon...thing... so that I can get back. But it hasn't been working, exactly." The entire time Rose was talking, her eyes were focused on the stars out the window. But now she looked back toward Loki, and realized he had been genuinely engrossed in her story. As she finished, he was nodding slightly, his slender forefinger stroking his lower lip. When he realized she was done, he cleared his throat, sitting up and smoothing the fabric over his legs.

"This Doctor man, he meant a lot to you, yes?" Loki's voice was raspy, an oddly pleasant sound.

"Yes." Rose said flatly. She realized she had started to cry, and wrapped her sleeve over her hand and used it to wipe under her eyes. She looked away, her eyes drawn to the box under her television. "Goodness, it's almost two in the morning. I suppose we should call it a night. I do still have work in the morning." She chuckled nervously.

"And work is really important to you." It wasn't a question. Loki seemed to understand what this meant to her.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Rose nodded, looking away from him again. She felt overwhelmed suddenly. "I suppose you need a place to stay the night. You can sleep on the couch. If you need a change of clothes, I can get something for you tomorrow." She got up, heading towards her bedroom. "I'll be right back."

Rose brushed her teeth quickly and changed. She went to her closet, digging through to the back. After a frustrated minute, she pulled out a pair of men's lounge pants and an old t-shirt, a pair that Mickey had left once when he slept over on a night she couldn't stand to be alone. She rushed out to the living room, and saw Loki standing in front of the windows, staring at the stars like she had done so many times before.

"I've got something more comfortable for you to sleep in." He turned around at the sound of her voice, his expression blank. "I'll see you in the morning." She walked back into her bedroom and shut the door. It took everything she had not to run. Rose was embarrassed. How could she let loose like that? What if he thought she was... _No. I don't care what he thinks._ She decided. She turned off the lights, pulled back the covers and slid into bed. The apartment was completely silent.

"Blessed night," came a voice, faint on the other side of the door. "And thank you, Rose."


	4. Chapter 4

"Blessed night," came a voice, faint on the other side of the door. "And thank you, Rose."

She woke, tangled in her bedsheets, after an uneasy sleep. She couldn't remember what she'd been dreaming about, but she could remember the flashes of lightning and roars of thunder that surrounded her during it. Slowly, Rose slid off her bed and changed out of her pajamas into a pair of jeans and a soft, pink sweater. With the attitude of a zombie, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Lifting her head after rinsing her face of the suds, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was an unruly mess and she was pretty sure the stress from the dimension cannon was starting to make her break out. With a sigh of resignation, she tore her eyes away from her reflection and brush out the knots in her hair. After a quick application of mascara and foundation, she started out the door. Then she remembered. Loki was asleep in her flat.

Turning back, she grabbed an eyeliner pencil from a drawer, applying it with precision. Then Rose twisted open a container of lipgloss, raising the applicator to her lips. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror again and almost dropped the gloss. What was she thinking? She rarely wore this much makeup anymore. She knew what was making her act this way, and hated that it had such an strange effect on her. Resignedly, she swept the gloss over her lips. She dropped the gloss back into the drawer and closed it behind her as she left the bathroom, smacking her lips.

Walking into the living room as quietly as she could, she saw him lying on her couch, one arm hanging over the edge. He had drawn her floor length curtains over the wall of windows, so it was still dark in the room despite the fact the sun had been up for at least an hour already. Rose crept forward more until she was standing almost in front of where he lay, looking down at him. Loki's face seemed so innocent, free of worry as he slept on. He seemed so much smaller, not the regal man she had familiarized herself with. His chest rose and fell slowly, covered by the plain gray shirt Rose had given to him. The robes he had been wearing were in a neat pile on the coffee table in front of him. His hair was everywhere, some across his face and the other parts spread across the pillow he laid his head on. A grin spread across Rose's face before she could stop it. He was so like everyone else as he slept, just like any other person who was asleep. Why should Torchwood be afraid of what he could do?

Torchwood. Rose had to work today. But she couldn't just leave this man alone in her apartment... she'd have to call in late, she decided. Determinedly, she grabbed her mobile from her bedroom, then walked into the kitchen to make the call.

"Hullo?" Mickey answered on the third ring.

"Hey Mickey, it's Rose," she spoke in a slightly hushed tone, not wanting to wake the alien unconscious on her couch. "I'm afraid something's come up. I don't think I'll be able to come into work today. I'm feeling a bit rubbish."

"Sad to hear it, I'll let the rest of the team know you won't be coming in." Mickey sounded sympathetic, yet a little distracted.

"Had any lucky tracking down that man?" Rose asked, looking back through the door to Loki. Could they find him here?

"Not yet. But don't worry, we have our best people on it. And by people, I mean me." Mickey let out a tired laugh. "But, Rose, this isn't a man. He's an alien. He can't be trusted, not on our planet."

"You're starting to sound like the old Torchwood." Rose's mouth tightened into a line. She remembered the attitude of the old institute. They believed all aliens were threats. Couldn't they see that just because they were different in some ways, they could still be the same in others? She had met plenty of aliens who were more human than some humans she knew.

"Maybe, but this alien is dangerous. I'm telling you, Rose, there's something about him. We absolutely need to find him soon. We have no idea what he could do."

"Alright. Well, I've got to go now. My head's starting to pound," she hated to lie to Mickey like this. But considering what he's saying, what could she do? "I'll see you later then."

"Bye, Rose." A click from the phone indicated the end of the conversation. She set down her mobile on the counter, looking back at Loki still sprawled across the couch. A smile started to tug on the edges of her lips again.

Turning again, she grabbed some eggs from the fridge and set a pan down on the stove. Within the next ten minutes, the entire flat smelt of bacon and eggs. Rose found herself humming a tune as she set cutlery on the tray she was about to bring into the living room. After setting the tray down on the coffee table, she strode towards the windows and drew back the window coverings. Light poured into the flat, illuminating the room from corner to corner. As she turned, she saw Loki lifting his arm to cover his eyes.

"Up you get then, breakfast is getting cold." Rose sat down in the armchair, her back to the open windows. She picked up her fork, digging it into the pile of scrambled eggs and lifted it to her lips. "Hmm. Needs more salt."

She rose and went back to the kitchen, grabbing the shaker from beside the stove. When she got back, Loki had already swung his legs over the edge of the couch and was sitting, face in his hands, as his elbows rested on his knees. Lowering his arms, he stared at the plate piled with food in front of him. His eyebrows arched on his forehead and his eyes darted upwards to meet Rose's.

"You spoil me." Loki's voice was low and raspy, tainted from lack of use during his sleep. "I thought you had to work today, you couldn't possibly have time to make breakfast like this every morning."

"You're right. I don't. But I thought I'd take a sick day." Rose said after she finished chewing a mouthful of egg. She sipped her orange juice. "I couldn't just leave you alone either. Who knows what other trouble you could get yourself into." She smiled over the edge of her glass. Loki returned the grin weakly.

"Not meaning to pry, but I thought this work was of grave importance to you." Loki started to cut into his bacon. Rose set down her glass, slowly dabbing at the edges of her mouth with a napkin.

"We haven't been successful in any advancement for the past couple weeks. There's just too many variables, and we don't even know if what we come up with could ever be done safely. I don't know... I just don't know." She kept her eyes on her plate. "I've been working on this so much, day and night, and I can't find anything. I just don't have the knowledge necessary..."

"Well, I'm sure that's not the problem. You seem quite intelligent in my eyes." Loki sounded sincere. "Perhaps you just lack the years of experience. If you'd like, I could take a look at your plans."

Rose's head darted up. Meeting her eyes with Loki's, she realized he was really willing to help. As quickly as she could, she grabbed her extra files and roles of blueprints from the desk in her bedroom. Returning to the living room, she shoved the plates of half eaten breakfast to one side of the coffee table to make room for the papers.

"Take your time," Rose watched as Loki started to read through the files, quicker than would be humanly possible. His slender fingers traced along the blueprints as he studied the sketches they had come up with. After ten minutes had passed, he finally looked back up at her.

"I've never seen such a science before. Is this Midgardian?"

"Gallifreyean. The Doctor... he was from the planet Gallifrey. We're trying to base these plans off of his T.A.R.D.I.S." Rose spoke quickly, disappointed at the lack of comprehension. A further confused look spread across Loki's features. "That's his time and space travelling...ship, I suppose. Time and relative dimensions in space. I guess we want to rebuild one. Problem is, he told me once when we thought we had lost it forever that these ships are grown, not built. It's impossible to directly replicate one."

"I see." Loki's eyebrows were furrowed. He understood what she was saying, she could tell. But whether he could do anything about it was a different story.

"There were also these dimension jumpers we've used in the past. But we need to find a way to rebuild the technology without breaking the barrier between the dimensions. And no matter what we try, it doesn't seem possible. Are you sure there's nothing you can think of?" She was desperate and she could hear it in her own voice.

"I apologize, but there's nothing I know that could help. The methods of travel used by our kind were very different, more traditional in some aspects. But the methods have been destroyed, and I haven't any idea how to replicate them either." Loki's voice was deeply apologetic.

"No, it's okay," Rose shook her head, biting on her lip. It wasn't really okay. This was her last shot. What else could she do? "I'm sure we'll find something soon enough. Somehow."

"Of course," Loki was lying for her sake, she could tell. "I understand this means the world to you, getting back to this man. But could this also be for another reason?"

"Another reason?" she looked back at him, confused.

"Yes. Could you need to get to him to ask about the stars that are disappearing?"

Rose was dumbfounded. What did he mean, stars disappearing? But it made sense... something about the night sky bothered her. It wasn't right.

"What does it mean?" She asked, knowing his answer already.

"I haven't the slightest inclination." Loki shrugged. "Last night, at least a hundred different stars disappeared from view. It was like they were being extinguished."

Rose nodded. This could not be good. This morning was not going as expected... she studied the man sitting before her. Even in old, human clothing this man sat like a king. His legs were spread and his very presence made it seem as if he were atop a throne, not an old, slightly stained, sofa. His hair, though in a disarray earlier, seemed to have slicked back into the style it had been the night before. He spoke with an old wisdom, very much like the Doctor had. He said things that were a little odd sometimes as well, things that went over her head.

She tore her eyes away from Loki. Disappointed with the way the events of the morning had turned out, she turned and looked out the windows. The streets of London were bustling. London... well, Rose didn't have to go to work today. What else is she supposed to do with her day? She turned back in her chair to face Loki.

"How about I show you how a day in...Midgard usual goes?" Rose smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

"How about I show you how a day in...Midgard usual goes?" Rose smiled.

By the time she returned from putting the dirty dishes in the sink, Loki was standing by the door, ready to leave. He no longer wore the ratty pajamas Rose had lent him. Instead he was dressed in plain black suit with a heavy overcoat and striped green scarf.

"Where did you get that?" Rose asked, confused. "I don't remember owning anything like that..."

The corners of Loki's mouth twitched upward. "I'm not human, I'm sure you recall. I have the ability to manipulate illusions and such. It's quite handy in situations such as this."

She laughed uncertainly, not quite understanding what that meant. Grabbing her jacket from the hanger on the wall and her keys from the bowl, she swung open the door and stepped aside to let him through. Locking the door behind them, Rose and Loki went downstairs into the crisp, London air.

The morning went by in a heartbeat. Loki was genuinely interested in what she had to say, and would ask questions about the various landmarks that were so well known to her already.

"Why, that's a peculiar name." He'd said, in reference to the Big Ben.

"Well, it's actually the bell inside, not the tower or the clock. But even people here don't quite understand that." Rose smiled, proud to know things that this intelligent man didn't.

After a while of strolling through downtown London, their legs began to ache and stomachs began to rumble. Walking into a small diner, Rose ordered two soft drinks and a basket of chips for them to share. The streets outside the dirty shop windows were bustling with both residents and tourists. Bright red double buses raced their way down the roads as people on bicycles swerved to avoid hitting pedestrians. It was a perfectly normal day to these people, these blissfully unaware people. They didn't realize how amazing this place was to someone who'd never been before. People just kept walking on, stuck in their own lives, caring for little more than themselves. Rose remembered being one of these people, and expressed her relief at no longer being one to Loki, sharing even more of her thoughts. Something she hadn't done in a long time.

"You know, you learn to appreciate the beauty of this planet, even a simple crowded simple like this one, once you've been on other worlds." She popped a chip doused in ketchup into her mouth, her tastebuds exploding with the saltiness.

"It certainly gives a much different perspective," Loki nodded, his eyes on her. "You're quite beautiful too."

A flush crept up her cheeks. Rose started to stutter, withdrawing her hand back from the basket quickly. Too quickly. She knocked over her drink and the carbonated liquid started to spill over the edge of the table, dripping onto the floor.

"Damn." she muttered, grabbing a handful of napkins as she rose from her chair to bend down and mop up the mess. Unfortunately, Loki had had the same idea. Their heads collided, knocking her back onto her haunches. She grasped her forehead with her palm, wincing. Suddenly, she was aware of how close they were, and could feel the eyes of others in the diner on the two of them. Averting her eyes from his, she swiftly dried up the cola and threw the damp napkins back onto the table as she took back her seat. He sat back down, graceful as always, still looking at her. The silence between them felt almost tangible.

"I apologize if that was forward," Loki broke through it, aware of how purposefully Rose stared out the window of the diner. "I thought I was merely stating a fact. I didn't mean to put you in an awkward position. I would never want to make you uncomfortable in such a way." His voice was soft, an audible caress. It instantly calmed Rose, who hadn't realized her breathing had become so shallow and her shoulders so tense.

"T-Thank you." She stated, finally meeting his gaze again. Loki's face was the perfect mask of sincerity. Rose smiled and exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "I've enjoyed our morning together."

"As have I." He seemed genuinely relieved at her reaction. "But is the weather always so...gloomy?" He gestured toward the suddenly overcast sky and ominous clouds rolling in from the distance.

"Generally... yeah," She grinned. "Never really changes. If we're lucky we get a couple days of sunshine in the summer. And in the winter the rain turns to slush. But for the most part what you see is what you get."

"Right then." Loki took a sip of his now empty soda. "This drink... I like it."

"Would you like another?" Rose turned in her seat to see if there was anyone behind the counter still.

"I'm fine, but thank you." He set down the cup. "Perhaps we should get back to your place of living? I could take another look at those plans. I just had an idea."

Rose whipped around in her chair. "Of course. Let's go then." They got up and headed out the door, into the stream of people walking past.

"Hey!" A voice came from a few feet behind them. "Rose! I thought you were sick today?"

She and Loki turned around, people still making their way past as they stood still. Jake Simmonds was walking towards them, his hand waving in the air. His eyes went from Rose to the man next to her, and a look of confusion fell across his face.

"But... isn't that..." His gaze darted between the two of them. Rose looked at Loki, who seemed as confused as her friend from Torchwood. Jake began reaching into his pocket as he seemed to recognize the man with the striped green scarf. Loki was still, unsure of how to handle the situation. Without hesitation, Rose slipped her hand into his. Surprised by her touch, he looked down at their now intertwined hands, then up at Rose's face.

Rose knew what to do. There was only one word that could help them now.

"Run."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry for the long time between uploads! I was away most of August and then school started… and I'm just generally lazy. And in the time that I've been gone, I've been not only heartbroken by the departure of the Pond's (I literally bawled my eyes out) but heartbroken again and again by watching the Avengers over and over again since it came out on DVD. Anywhooo. Here's the next part :)

"Run."

And so they ran. Around street corners, pushing past people and almost knocking them over, they ran until they could barely breathe. Well, Rose couldn't breathe. Loki seemed to have barely tired since they started, only the slight sheen of sweat across his exposed forehead gave evidence of the surprise marathon. In comparison, Rose felt like a dripping mess as her hair stuck to the back of her neck and she could taste the saltiness on her lips that hadn't come from the chips.

They'd stopped in an alleyway between a fast food restaurant and a salon, an intolerable stench mixed of hairspray and deep fried chips filled her lungs as she bent over to catch her breath. Loki's eyebrows furrowed, he was concerned but didn't know what to do. Cautiously, Rose's companion laid a hand on her back as she drew in long, deep breaths. Startled by the touch, she bolted upright, her mind going blank momentarily. He withdrew his hand hastily, studying her face apologetically.

Rose smiled without abandon. She hadn't felt this alive in the longest time. Her heart was beating like a racehorse and she felt on top of the world. Nervously, Loki smiled back, using his withdrawn hand to smooth back his hair that had fallen into his face during the impromptu run. Her pocket started to vibrate, non stop. Taking out her phone she saw she had several missed calls alternating between Torchwood and Mickey. Now, the screen flashed the name "Jackie". Wishing she could answer but knowing she couldn't, she hit the end button, ceasing the vibrations.

"I can't believe that just happened," she bit her lip. The alley they'd found themselves in was furnished with plenty of rubbish that surrounded a pair of large dumpsters. A pair of yellow eyes were visible from the darkness between two garbage bags, staring at the couple unblinkingly. Rose saw them and stepped back, her instincts kicking in again, ready to run. Loki followed her gaze and as his eyes met the mysterious other pair, a black cat jumped out to greet them. Its fur was sleek and glossy as it twisted its feline form around Loki's legs, who was looking down at it with an expression of surprise. "And I think you've just found a new friend."

Loki looked back up at Rose from the cat, grinning. He shooed the cat away with his feet and it darted down the opposite end of the alley from where they'd arrived.

"What shall we do now?" He said as his eye's met her's once more.

Rose's smile faltered. Possibilities started racing through her head. She couldn't go home, definitely not, and Jackie's home was also out of the question. All of her friends were from Torchwood, and therefore also not an option. She really did not know what to do.

"Rose? We need to get moving. They must be tracking us by now." Loki's deep voice only betrayed a hint of urgency.

"A motel?" Rose blurted out at last, the only possibility that could possibly work.

"Do you know where the nearest one is?"

"Of course I know," Rose said indignantly. She blushed, remembering that he couldn't've known that she would. "I know everything!" She stuck her tongue to her teeth as she smiled, attempting to bring some humour back to the situation.

And it worked, Loki smiled easily as he studied her face. He held out a hand and together they walked to the nearest motel, only a couple blocks away.

They checked in, having stopped at an ATM to withdraw some of Rose's savings they paid in cash, under the name 'Smith'. Rose couldn't think of any other name to use. Soon, they were in the dingy room, which despite being a non-smokers room still smelt of stale cigarettes. Loki sat at the edge of the bed, reading the Gideon's bible found in the nightstand, as she paced circles on the threadbare carpet.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, setting down the book beside him on the duvet.

Rose turned on him. "What's wrong?!" The gravity of the situation had just caught up to her. "We're going to get caught! That's what's wrong! I'm going to be caught and fired and you're going to be caught and killed or experimented on, taken in for questioning and treated like less of a man than you are! You should never have left your cell. I should've..." She couldn't say it. She couldn't've turned this man in when he'd arrived her flat. It was never really an option, even if she still didn't really know him. She stood in place and stared at him, biting her lip. "I don't know what to do. How can I ever get back now?"

Loki was silent for a moment, taking in everything she was saying. Rose looked away and brought a hand up to her face, digging her nails into her cheeks. _This is all for the Doctor, _she told herself. _I need Loki so that I can get back to him. That's all. _

Loki patted on the duvet next to himself, shoving the ratty bible back towards the pillows. Rose took a seat next to him, staring blankly ahead now, trying not to think. He placed a long fingered hand on her shoulder with his arm around her, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She could feel the warmth of his body, the long, skinny frame was familiar to her and before she realized she was doing it, she lay her head down on his shoulder, nuzzling it against the suit jacket. Loki leaned his head down towards hers and rested his cheek on her hair.

"Rose Tyler," he stated in a voice so calming that she felt her eyelids begin to feel heavy and droop, "I will keep you safe. They will not find us and they will not take us. I will get us both back home, if it takes everything in me. I swear it. I will protect you until my dying breath."

"You needn't die for me," Rose said slowly, her eyes already closed and her breathing slow.

"Oh I probably won't," Loki smiled against the top of her head, "But I will do whatever is necessary to make you happy once more."


	7. Chapter 7

Rose's head was pounding, buzzing with ideas as she pored over what she'd written on the motel notepad. She slumped with her elbows on the desk, head in her hands, slowly massaging her temples while trying to figure a way out of this mess. Her eyes darted upwards, as they had been doing periodically for the last few hours, to where Loki sat, still perched on the end of the bed. She studied his face as he seemed to be deep in thought, so concentrated that he seemed to be in a whole different world. His brilliant green eyes seemed to dart around as if seeing people that weren't really there, and a sheen of sweat had broken out across his forehead. Rose bit her lip, considering whether she should interrupt and ask if he was okay. She knew he'd asked to be left alone for a while so he could figure some things out, but that was hours ago. It was beginning to be worrisome, how he seemed to turn into a statue, barely moving. Tearing her eyes away she shook her head and returned to her notes, rough plans to attempt escape routes that would go undetected. Nothing here was going to work.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rose finally saw Loki move. His hands that had moments ago just been laying on his knees tensed into fists, and his whole body seemed to convulse as if possessed. He drew in a sharp intake of breath, his head moving as his eyes sought out the blonde girl who was looking at him with deep concern. In one swift movement, Loki rose and was next to Rose, looking briefly at the notes she made and then tearing out a new piece of paper. He picked up the fading pen and began moving it fervently over the sheet.

Irritated, Rose stretched to see what he was doing. Faster than should be possible he'd written out some familiar formulas with new variables and was drawing a to-scale diagram of what could only be a (seemingly functional) dimension canon. When he'd finished, Loki stepped back to let her take it in, a wide smile on his face as he wiped his sleeve across his forehead. She flipped the notebook from where he'd turned it to write, studying the page carefully. Slowly, as she began to comprehend what she was reading, her lips slipped into a toothy grin.

"I can't believe it!" Rose whipped around to look at Loki, her exclamation coming out in an excited squeak. Before she knew what she was doing, she leapt from her chair and wrapped her arms around the man's skinny frame, squeezing tight. "I can finally go back." This time her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, as she leaned her head against his chest. Loki leaned his head down towards hers as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Wait a moment..." Rose pulled away, looking back up at the alien's face. "What was that? You've been quiet for hours and you just suddenly knew what to do?" Her smile was gone, instead an look full of accusing suspicion was twisting her soft features.

Loki cocked his head to the side, his smile gone now as well. His sharper, more angular features put on a defensive stance.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do." Rose backed up a couple steps, putting a hand on her hip and furrowing her brows. "I need to be able to trust you. If I want to be able to use this thing," she pointed to the notebook, "I need to know what just happened. Because if something goes wrong, we'll be the ones who are blamed. And _nothing, _I repeat, _nothing, _can go wrong here."

"It's difficult to explain..." His eyes were honest, but he winced as Rose's eyes shot daggers at him. She wouldn't let this go. "I suppose...it'd be easier if I just showed you."

Rose dropped her hand, folding her arms against her chest.

"Alright. Let's see it then."

Loki gave her one long look before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did. It seemed almost as if he were meditating standing up. After a moment, he opened his eyes again. Rose stared at him, confused.

"Nothing's changed?" Her eyes looked from side to side, raking across the room for any difference. Still a dingy motel, same dusty curtains and same spiral patterned carpet. Returning her gaze to the man in front of her, she saw that he was staring pointedly at a spot behind her, his eyebrows raised in expectation. Slowly, she turned on the balls of her feet. Before she even came to a rest, a gasp escaped from her lips.

Standing in front of her was Loki. Another Loki. Loki II. Still wearing a suit with a striped scarf. Same slicked back, ink black hair. Same charming smile. Rose was flabbergasted.

Loki II reached out an arm, identical to the arm of the man standing behind her, and touched her cheek, sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear. His eyes kept a steady gaze with hers, searching her face for her reaction. With a soft chuckle, he took the hand from the side of her face and tapped her lightly under the chin. To Rose's embarrassment, her mouth was still open as she studied the clone. She snapped it closed as her cheeks flooded red.

"Rose Tyler..." the voice didn't come from the Loki she was staring at. Twirling around again, she saw the true man looking at her intently. "You sweet, delicate flower..."

The sweet fragrance of roses filled the room rapidly as Loki II walked to stand with the original, a rose in hand.

"Okay..." Rose looked from man to man, trying to find some difference between the two. They were identical in every way she could tell. "But... how? I mean, I've seen crazy things, but this..."

"Back at the place where I'm from, I was a... god of sorts. Of mischief, one might say. I like to think it was just because I was clever. Which I am thought, intelligent. So I have these 'powers'. I'm only ever truly with people I know I can trust, like you." Loki's eyes sparkled as Rose's blush deepened at the words. He reached a hand out, as if to touch Loki II's shoulder, but instead of resting on the fabric it went right through. The twin flickered for a moment, like he would disappear, but regained a solid appearance just a quickly. "If I'm not in the company of others, well, they wouldn't really know it. Just now a... friend of mine, let's say, thought he was giving the real me a solution to get home when really..."

Loki II shimmered again, this time disappearing completely. The rose however, remained. It fell to the floor where the remaining Loki stooped to pick it up. In a few steps he was in front of Rose, conflict flashing in his eyes.

"I now have debts to repay with said friends. But I found help. I think I've found a way to get us home." With his free hand, Loki took Rose's and lifted it palm up. Resting the rose in the middle, he curled her fingers around it with his own slender ones, looking down at her as she studied the flower in her hand.

Rose looked back up into Loki's face, her frustrations and amazements forgotten. Right now, it didn't matter how he got the answer and whether or not it would work. Because they'd be doing it together, and it wasn't just Rose and Loki. It was 'us'.


	8. Chapter 8

They stood for a moment, back to a comfortable place with each other. Rose was calm again, still staring up at the real Loki's face. As she gazed, a flicker of worry passed across his features.

"These plans are useless without the actual cannon." He sounded regretful, unsure, yet he still held himself composed.

Rose gave him a cheeky smile, backing towards the table in the corner. "I suppose we'll have to find a way to it then."

Loki's mouth twitched as he watched her start ripping more papers off the hotel pad, laying them out across the already messy surface. She took the paper with the final solution on it, folding it carefully, and stuck in into the front pocket of her jeans. Feeling his gaze, she lifted her head with her hands on the table, hip cocked out to the side.

"What is it?" Rose's grin widened.

"You're human." Loki stated, still staring appraisingly.

"Yeah," she said slowly, eyebrows furrowing. "And you're alien. Your point?"

"Don't you need to sleep?"

Rose looked down, jaw clenching. Her breathing quickened, not unnoticed by the man across the room.

"What is it? Can you not sleep?"

"No, no it's not that." She shook her head, still avoiding looking at him. "I mean, it doesn't even happen anymore..."

"What doesn't happen?" Loki strode forward, bowing his head over the table. "You seem apprehensive."

She opened her mouth, but no noise came out. Her jaw hung open and there was a dead silence between them. She couldn't tell him the reason she couldn't sleep. How it took so very long for slumber to welcome her in its arms. The voices, the one voice, keeping her awake for hours on end, were both a lullaby and a nightmare.

"Come to think of it, I am getting hungry. It's been a while since the diner and I could use something to eat." Rose finally spoke, keeping her head down and picking up the pen.

She didn't have to raise her head to know that he had left. His soundless arrivals and departures were unnerving, but right now she was truly just too mentally exhausted to give a damn. Setting the pen to the paper, she drew to-scale drawings by memory of the Torchwood floor plan. Each floor meticulously laid out, one on each sheet of paper, in order from the basement to the top floor. Use thick black 'x's' she positioned where the guards were usually stationed and where employees usually conducted their work. Rose poured over the table, trying to decipher the most successful route to the dimension cannon without being seen. After some serious thought, she decided that they would wait until early morning, when the guards on graveyard shift would be switching with the day guards. The confusion and sleepiness would provide the best cover for them to slip in undetected.

As she continued mapping out which hall ways would grant the east way, a light knock sounded from the door. Rose jerked out of her position, straightening from the way she was leaning over the table, and regretted it instantly. It'd been longer than she thought and her back ached. Yet, certain it was Loki finally returning, she hobbled over to the door and twisted the knob. Seeing who stood in front of her, she jumped back, eyes darting for something to defend herself.

It was Jake. His face appeared apologetic under his crown of blonde gelled spikes, two hands lifted in front of his chest to show he held no weapons.

"Rose, wait, listen." He stepped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind himself. "I'm not here 'cause of Torchwood."

Rose, braced in a defensive position, didn't relax. "How did you know I was here?"

"Mickey's going out of his mind tryin' to find you," Jake's voice was sympathetic, and he seemed utterly at ease. "He thinks the alien's kidnapped you. I thought I'd do some re-con of my own. It wasn't difficult to figure out who 'John Smith' was. But no one else knows, don't worry."

She dropped her gaze to the floor, not seeing the spiral patterns laying in front of her. "Jake..."

The human boy walked up to her, lifting her chin with a couple of his fingers so that she had no choice but to look at him. "Did he hurt you?"

Rose shook her head quickly. "No! Of course, no! It's just... I'm here of my own accord."

Jake dropped his hand, confused. His eyes darted around the room, trying to find anything suspicious.

"Is he making you say this? Rose, I need to know, are you in danger?"

"Jake! No!" Rose backed away, turning towards the table. With her back to him, she withdrew the solution from her pocket, unfolding it carefully and gazing down at the equation again. "We solved it."

"Solved what?"

"The dimension cannon!" Her eyes sparkled as she turned back on the balls of her feet, grinning again. She was almost squealing. "We solved it! Well, he did. Loki. That's his name. But we know how to use the jumper. I can go home."

Rose was surprised that Jake's mouth didn't reach all the way to the floor. It took a moment for him to collect himself and realize what that meant.

"Well then! Let's go!"

"Not yet," Rose tried to explain quickly, "we need to wait for the shift switch for the best cover. It's the best, and only, strategy we have."

"I'm afraid we can't do that."

Loki had slipped inside quietly during their conversation. In his hands he held a large, flat box. The dingy room quickly filled with the scent of cheese, oregano, and fresh bread. He set it down on the still made bed and turned to look down at Jake.

"We must do it tonight, as soon as possible."

"Why?" Rose reached over and lifted the the lid of the box, making the mouth-watering scent even stronger. She grabbed a slice and lifted it to her lips, tearing off a bite. Jake followed suit.

"Because of the stars." Loki strode to the curtains beside the motel door, drawing them open so the night sky was in full view.

"What about them?" Jake demanded through a mouth full of pepperoni and cheese.

"There are none."

Loki let the phrase sink in, his eyes on trained on Rose as she gazed past him at the pitch black sky.

"But that's because we're in the city, inn'it?" the human boy asked uncertainly.

"No. If that were the case then we'd have all the time in the world. No, it's as if the universe is collapsing in on itself..." Loki put his hands behind his back, clasping them together tightly.

"That's it then. I need to get back. This world needs the Doctor." Rose was firm. The thought of disappearing stars had scared her, but this wasn't the first time her world had fallen apart. She knew how to get the help she needed and she'd do anything she could to get it.

Loki was still studying her, an unrecognizable look in his eye, but his face was smooth and deadly calm. When she looked back at him, her face was the picture of bravery. He would have compared her to a determined lioness, eager to protect her cubs. And he knew just how deadly a Midgardian lion could be.

"Well then," Jake said, still staring out the window, oblivious of the tension that filled the room. "No time to lose then, eh?


	9. Chapter 9

"This will never work." Jake said uncertainly, his voice clouded with doubt, as they rounded the corner down the block from the Torchwood building.

Rose shot him a nasty look, annoyed at his sudden change in attitude. "We have no choice but to try." She was resilient.

"What exactly is the deal with the stars going out?" Jake asked, not for the first time. Rose sighed, blowing a piece of hair out of her face as they slowly approached the building, sticking near the walls.

"Darkness. And the end of all things." She gave him a harder look, making her voice low and serious to express how wrong the whole situation was.

"Look, I can tell that you trust this guy," he cocked his head back at Loki, who was several feet behind them, studiously pouring over a few of the floor plans taken from the motel table, memorizing them quickly. "But he's not from here. He's not human, Rose."

"Jake." Rose grinded her teeth together, rounding on him. "You're starting to sound like the old Torchwood. I'll have you remember that the D-... the man who saved all our lives, wasn't human either." She paused, wincing at her use of the past tense and the name that was still rolling around on her tongue. She recovered quickly, shaking her head as they continued forward. "But I trusted him. We all did. And now I trust Loki. Not because I need someone in my life but because I have to. I need to get back, whether you want to help or not."

"Here you go," Loki interrupted, to Jake and Rose's relief. He handed Rose a duplicate of Jake's access card, but where Jake's face was on the original which Loki also handed back, Rose's beaming smile gleamed back.

"Where'd you get the photos?" Rose scrutinized the rectangle of plastic, looking for an error and coming up empty.

"Yours is the same as the badge I saw you had before. And don't worry about mine." Loki tapped his front pocket, where he kept his own.

Rose looked up from the card, realizing Loki was studying her as he did so often, and still she blushed. His face remained pale as he smiled slowly and asked, "Do you think these will work?"

"Definitely."

The three of them were in front of the building now, and it was easy to see inside through the large windowed walls. Rose took the front of the group, entering through the door with a renewed confidence, while Loki followed and Jake took up the rear, sandwiching the alien. They approached the scanner at the second door and one by one the red light flashed and allowed access to the heart of the building. None of the guards looked up from their posts, they were used to strange people entering at all times of the day, no matter how ungodly the hour.

"This way," Rose mouthed silently over her shoulder, starting down a stark hallway. There, at the end, was a door that would lead to the staircase, in turn leading toward the basement. They were so close, she could almost already feel the excitement of inter-dimensional travel shivering through her bones. Quietly, they approached it. Reaching for the knob, Rose heard a soft click from behind her. She turned, dreading to see what she had missed.

Loki and Jake had their hands behind their heads, guns pointed at each respectively. Mickey walked out from behind the two, raising his own gun to point at Rose.

"Shit." She let the word slip out from under her breath, assessing the situation. Ignoring the barrel almost directly in front of her face, she kept her eyes on Loki, who's own eyes were wide and wild. He had not expected the turn in the situation either.

"C'mon, boys." Mickey was grimacing as he said the words, using his free hand to signal down the hall at the doors leading to rooms in which Rose had never been. The three were escorted down the hall, and Loki was forced into one of the rooms, handled roughly. Jake stepped back from the crowd, and the man who had been threatening his life seconds before was now handing him his gun back. So, Jake had been lying. She should have known.

"Stop! Mickey, please, it wasn't what you think!" She turned to him, aware of the black object still trained on her forehead. "Seriously he... we... we did it! Mickey, we found a way back, please, just LISTEN!" Rose was growing slowly hysterical, she didn't know where Loki's door led and her entire brain was just a mush of emotion.

"Rose, don't..." Mickey was wincing.

"Please!" Rose could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but they never spilled over.

"Mr. Smith, I think it's time we give her a little time to herself, don't you think?"

A woman appeared from down the hall, weaving between the men in black suits and red hats. She wore a sharp looking business suit, and her peppered hair was twisted back in a tight bun. Not a hair was out of place. Mickey glanced sideways at her, and then reached around Rose to open the door behind her.

"Inside." The word was curt, Mickey let no emotion into his voice. He shoved her into the room and then there was darkness.

A crushing feeling of disappointment and betrayal overcame her as the door was slammed shut behind her. There was no light in the room, and she couldn't find the switch, but she didn't care.

Rose ran quickly to the side wall, the one she knew was shared with the room Loki was kept in. Her head leaned heavily against it, and she slammed a hand down onto the surface. The tears she'd felt begin never came and as she stared into the darkness she knew they wouldn't come. Her face was a hard mask and she pressed even harder against the wall.

And across the thin layer of plaster, at the same time, Loki was doing the same


	10. Chapter 10

Hearing a door knob turn, Loki peeled himself away from the wall, ducking his head. A bright rectangle of light appeared as the door creaked open, the black silhouettes of three men walking into the room was outlined harshly. The whole room flooded with light as the door closed behind them, revealing Mickey and two armed UNIT guards. Loki could now see the true emptiness of the room, save a chair place dead centre. Darting his eyes up at the movement, he saw Mickey looking dead in his eyes and nodding toward the chair. Facing the chair, possibilities were flashing through his mind. If he ran fast enough, could he disarm all three? Surely, in a heartbeat. Even easier, he could conjure some illusions to distract them, and steal a card key.

None of these options would help in Rose's favor, he thought as he sighed to himself. This tedious interrogation would have to happen, in some degree. Hurting her coworkers would only put her further in danger. Was she in a room just like his? Resigned, Loki strode to the chair, perching himself on the edge and reaching up a hand to smooth back his forgotten hair.

"What are you planning?" Mickey was leaning back against the closed door, arms crossed against his chest, the two guards flanking his sides. His voice was shaking, it was obvious that was taking a massive amount of restraint for him to seem so calm, though his act was atrocious.

Loki was expecting it. The same question would be repeated over and over. But he truly didn't know how to answer it. No matter what he said, no matter how hard he tried to convince them that he was going to help, they wouldn't listen. Well, perhaps the guards might. But Loki could tell that Rose and Mickey had a past, some personal relationship that had had it's share of strains, and now he was going to go to the ends of the earth to protect what they had left. Therefore, he remained silent, his mouth in an almost invisible line tight across his face.

Mickey, knuckles poking white against the stretched skin of his clenched hand, lowered his arms and took a step forward. One hand twitched toward the gun holstered at his side.

"I said, what. Are. You. Planning?" he emphasized each word with another step, until he was towering over where Loki was seated.

"I just..." Loki glanced down at the gun which seemed to be Mickey's greatest temptation of the moment, and then back up to see the guards with passive expressions on their faces. This wasn't the first time a 'peaceful' interrogation had gone this way. He raised his eyesight back to the man in front of him. "I just want to help Ms. Tyler so I can return home."

"Go home, eh?" Mickey snarled, teeth bared. He stepped back again, to get a full view of the alien seated before him. "And how exactly does kidnapping a Torchwood agent accomplish that?"

"Kidnapping? I do believe the fact that Rose came with me was of her own accord." Loki bit his tongue, words out of his mouth before he could stop them. His interrogator flinched at the familiar use of Rose's name, but the alien kept his face smooth, unwilling to let the familiarity become too apparent.

"Ms. Tyler," Mickey started, in a strained voice, "knows better than to betray the Torchwood name."

"Well then," Loki smirked, leaning forward on the edge of his seat, "Perhaps, Mickey Smith, you don't know Rose as well as you think."

This time he meant to use hurtful words. Perhaps it was his natural edge for mischief or perhaps he just didn't like the man in front of him. Either way, the effect was noticeable and immediate. Mickey turned, nostrils flared, and something low to the guards. They spun on their feet and, with a swipe of a card, exited the room, taking place on either side of the door in the hallway. Mickey slowly shuts the door, his shoulders visibly tense. As soon as the door clicked, locked in place, he whipped around and within a few short steps he was in front of Loki again. Pulling back a hand, he struck the pale face with a closed fist. The contact was hard, causing Mickey to back up a few steps, nursing his clenched hand, and Loki shook his head slightly, regaining shaking off the pain.

Loki straightened his neck, bring ice cold eyes to level with the flaming hot ones of Mickey. He searched the others' face, leaving no emotion on his own. He had not intended violence. And he would not stand for it. With a feline grace, he raised himself from his seat until he was standing. Loki easily stood over Mickey, height and powerful presence on his side. He didn't take his eyes from the others' face as Mickey drew a pair of handcuffs out from his pocket. A frightened doubt flickered across his dark face and seeing it, a cold grin broke out on Loki's white one. The way the grin spread with ease, and didn't seem to reach his eyes, caused the scared look on Mickey's face to become more intense.

"You think you can restrain me with such flimsy Midgardian metal?" Loki barked out a laugh. "You're more of a pathetic mortal than I thought."

The insult enraged Mickey, his teeth bared even wider than before, though he still seemed apprehensive of Loki's power. With a flick of his wrist, he flung the cuffs at Loki, hitting him along the cheekbone and tearing the skin.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Mickey was shouting, spit escaping from between his lips. "Some kind of... alien mind control? HUH? You make her right again!"

Each phrase was accentuated with a blow somewhere to Loki's person. Mickey no longer cared about himself, he was anger and rage and couldn't stop himself from letting it all out. A swift kick was placed to the alien's abdomen and a low punch brought Loki to his knees. Beads of sweat started to bead along the pale skin under inky black hair.

Breathing hard, staring at what he had done, Mickey turned quickly and opened the door, growling something to a guard outside. As he did so, Loki did an inventory of himself. He was starting to ache, his face was bleeding. The wounds were most likely to be superficial on his perfect skin, but they certainly looked bad. He knew how this was going to end. And he had to let it happen.

Mickey disappeared through the door as a guard strode in to take his place. He closed the door slowly, pausing from dramatic effect after it was locked, then turned, assessing the broken looking man kneeling before him. From his back pocket, the guard withdrew a wickedly sharp double-edged blade, which glinted hauntingly in the fluorescent lights. When he spoke, a low, determined voice erupted from behind shark- like teeth.

"Handcuffs or not, we're just getting started."


	11. Chapter 11

Peeling away from the cold plaster, Rose finally turns to take in her surroundings. Under the harsh fluorescent light she could see a steel rod chair, menacing in the middle of the room. The back wall was made up entirely of a mirror. Looking at it quizzically, she concluded it simply must be a two way mirror, what else would this room be used for? Walking up to it, she pressed a soft, slender finger against it. The reflected image seem to be directly touching her real index finger, proving her theory right. Something behind her creaked, and looking up at the reflection she saw Mickey and Jake enter the room, Jake with a small container in his hand. She stiffened, still staring at them from the silver surface, refusing to turn around.

Avoiding her accusing gaze from the mirror, Jake strode ashamedly toward her, handing her the container.

"I thought you might be hungry." He said simply, risking once glance at her and then retreating back to his spot to the right of Mickey. Rose mustered up as much of a hateful glare as she could, staring him down.

A movement distracted her, a cracking of the knuckles, and she shot a look at Mickey. Immediately she dropped the glare, turning with a worried look spread across her face, and walked towards him. She dropped the container on the chair before standing in front of the man who seemed to be breathing so hard he might pass out.

"Mickey?" She tried cautiously, breaking the awkward quiet that had only been filled with his ragged breathing. His expression softened slightly at her concerned gaze, and his breath began to slow. Good, she knew she had to get to the point now that it was safe. "Mickey. I have a way back. Loki-" the man shuddered at the name, breathing starting to pick up again. "-and I have a way back. We were just trying to help." She grimaced at how weak it sounded.

"Just stop... Jake's told me everything." Mickey's face had hardened again. Jake looked sheepishly down at his feet. "Rose, we can't trust him. Not just because he's an alien, I know they aren't all bad, but because we know nothing about him. As much as we here at Torchwood would like to believe that we finally found a way, we can't predict that he won't make you materialize in the wrong dimension or...planet... Screw that, he could disintegrate you if he wanted. And we wouldn't be the wiser. We're not putting that power in that thing's hands. I could never live with myself if I did."

He sounded cold, desperation was creeping into his voice but he was holding it back. His hands were held out in front of him, trying to placate the now rigid girl in front of him. Rose was silent for a moment, studying the two men's faces. They seemed so different right now. Mickey was strong, attempting to be stoic. Jake wasn't even hiding his shame, watching the entire event by looking up through his lashes. She turned back to the wall of mirror.

"I thought you of all people would realize the risks that I'm willing to take." Her voice shook, she had no problem letting her desperation and longing for home show.

"My Rose wouldn't risk her life for someone she just met."

It took a moment for the phrase to register with Rose. The sound of possession... she whipped back around to face him.

"I am NOT your Rose!" She spat at him, livid. Her emotions from the past 48 hours started to pour out of her, all at once. No, not the past two days. All the pent up emotion she had kept inside since that day at Bad Wolf Bay. "We've been over this. You already let me go when you decided to stay here, the first time we came! You KNOW what he means to me! If you think that I'm going to sit around when there's a way for me to get back... I can't, CAN'T live with out him."

As she said the words, she could see the man as if he were standing right in front of her. The features came into focus one by one. He was tall, his skinny frame was lean and poised and a smile appeared across his face that could melt her heart. But as she looked, and his being became more focused, she realized that where there should be a floppy mess of chestnut hair there was sleek black. The blowing blue object in his hand was several feet too long and a shape she had never seen. And his eyes... they should be a warm, chocolatey brown. Instead they were a cool colour, indistinguishable between blue and green. Realizing what was happening, she snapped out of it. A flush creeped up her face, and she averted the gazes of the two real men in front of her, even thought she knew that couldn't have seen what she just saw. She let in a shuddering breath.

"I trust Loki. And you should trust me."

"Well. I guess that's it then, i'nn'it?" Mickey turned and stalked back toward the door, not before Rose could catch a glimpse of the hurt look across his face. He swiped his card through the metal box beside the door, then held it open, waiting for Jake.

"You should really eat." Jake's voice was urgent as he looked at Rose with apologetic eyes. With one final glance at the container on the chair, he followed Mickey into the hall.

After the door clicked shut, Rose let out a resigned sigh, chewing on her lip. Lifting the square of plastic, she sat on the chair, wondering why Jake was so desperate for her to eat. Peeling back the plastic lid, she revealed... a sandwich. Like he'd said. Glancing around, she picked it up. It was ham and cheese between two slices of white bread.

"Well, I won't say no to food..." she whispered to herself, and raised the sandwich to her lips. She tried tearing away a piece of the sandwich, and found she couldn't. Something cold and way too solid was in the way. Separating the bread, Rose saw a small white card and Jake's face smiling up at her, smudged with a bit of mustard.

Grinning to herself, she threw a cautious look over her shoulder at the mirror. It didn't matter if anyone was watching, she'd be out in no time. Dropping the container, it took everything she had to keep from running to the door. She passed the plastic rectangle through the machine and held in a squeal that threatened to escape her lips as the lights flashed green and the door gave a distinctive click as it unlocked. Opening it slowly, she stuck her head out and glanced down either end of the hallway. To one side, nothing. To the other... A UNIT agent's back was turned to her. And talking to him... Jake! Catching her eye, he motioned to the door that would open to the room next to hers. After she mouthed thanks and a thumbs up, he continued talking animatedly with the guard, keeping his attention on him. Rose swiped the card and opened the room to the left of hers.

Poking her head through the door, she tried peering into the dark room. Not being able to make out any shapes, she slid inside, closing the door silently behind her. Reaching out, she felt for a switch on the wall. She flicked it on and the room was instantly filled with a harsh light.

Loki was seated in a chair in the middle of the otherwise completely empty room. His head was rolled forward against his chest. She noticed distinctly that there were no cameras or mirrors in this room. Rushing towards him, Rose lifted his head with both her hands, kneeling between his legs that were spread out from the seat of the chair.

She gasped, astonished and almost disgusted at what she saw. There was bruising on his eyes and chin and his lip was split, trickling a little blood. A large welt shone bright, smeared with blood, across his cheekbone. He held himself stiffly, as if wishing to move his limbs as little as possible. She studied every part of him, noticed cuts across his hands and the part of his neck that showed, before returning to his face. His light eyes stood out, bright against the black and purple shadows that seemed to grow bigger around them as she watched.

"What did they do to you?" Rose was filled with anger as her teeth clenched together, overwhelmed with emotion. She pressed her cool fingers against his bruises, noticing how hot and feverish he felt. It felt wrong, associated with Loki.

"Nothing I can't handle." His voice was weak, cracking, yet he gave her a small attempt at a smile. All it did was make his split lip gush out even more blood with started to trail down his chin. Lightly, she wiped it away. "I assume you found a way out?"

"Jake actually," she said, nodding. "Now it's time for both of us to get out."

Stepping beside him, she threw one of Loki's arms around her shoulder as gingerly as possible. With difficulty, they limped together across the room, where Rose had to reposition herself to unlock the door, and then again to help Loki walk through it.

The hallway was now conveniently empty. Jake was doing well with his whole 'apology' thing. Slowly but determinedly, they made it down the hall, opening a door to the rarely used staircase. Loki groaned, looking at the concrete steps. Rose looked over, her face unusually close to his, and grinned.

"Just a few more steps, we're almost there." Loki's mouth twitched at her attempt to cheer him up, and they both knew how phony it sounded. A step at a time, they made it down the three levels, where they approached a door with a large 'B' painted overtop. Rose stepped out from under Loki's arm, opening it wide.

"Here we are.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose watched from the doorway as Loki limped forward, across the room. Reaching out, he rested a hand on the large metal contraption in front of them. A smile broke out on his face, stretching the cut across his cheek and causing a fresh trickle of blood to make it's way down his snow white skin.

"You'd better get started," Rose prompted the alien, who was still standing and assessing the magnificent machine in front of him. "I'll watch out, but we need to finish quickly."

Loki's smile vanished as he looked back at her, nodding his head curtly. A business like expression over took his features as he went to work, tinkering with the metal and pausing every so often to close his eyes and remember the solution. Rose strode quickly and came to rest beside him, turning as soon as she reached her destination to keep her eyes on the door. Jake couldn't keep the others out for long. They must've noticed by now that they were gone...

A few moments passed though, and they were still alone in the basement room. Her eyes began to wander, taking in the chaotic mess that other Torchwood member's left in their wake. Half-finished projects had been worked on as well as the dimension cannon. Many of Rose's coworkers had abandoned the idea of building a jumper, casting it out as something to be left for the desperate, a pointless fantasy. So they'd began working on making other instruments down here as well, other machines that needed to be made with the same tools that Rose, and the others who still believed in the cannon, had used.

After a moment, she realized what her wandering eyes had come to rest on. A table, piled with metal instruments. The longer she looked, the easier shapes became discernible. Some of them had long, pipe-like objects protruding from them. Some had large, cylindrical pieces sticking out from a handle with circular holes. But they all had one thing in common. Triggers.

Casting a glance back at the man at work behind her, she reached out and grabbed two of the handles. One of them came out and her arm almost dropped from the weight. It was long, almost demanding to be held in two hands, with one large hole at the end, two large for a bullet to fit through. The other was lighter, a simple handgun. Considering for a moment, she rest the handgun back down, and took the large one in both arms, one finger resting on the trigger at the handle and the other hand holding the nose of it up, towards the still door.

If Loki noticed Rose's new toy, he didn't say anything. When she stole a glance back at him, he was concentrated, welding something to cannon. Rose spun back around as the door burst open, raising the gun back to it's place. A few familiar faces poured in, Torchwood agents all with handguns of their own, raised to face her. Mickey and Jake were among them. Mickey's face was hard, he was facing his own personal turmoil during these events. Jake seemed relieved that they had gotten down okay, emotions clear on his face.

"Don't come any closer," Rose warned, her voice more confident than she felt. She jerked her own gun to the side quickly, then rested it back on the pack of people in front of her. "I don't really know what this does. I'm interested to find out, if necessary."

"Rose," a familiar voice came from behind the Torchwood agents, but it didn't match it's surroundings. Slowly, the source made it's way in front of the mass of black. Jackie, arm hooked in Pete's, was standing in the basement of the Torchwood Institute, her expression worried. "Mickey called us. We had no idea..."

Rose sucked in a breath, darting a look at Mickey who determinedly avoided her eyes. "Did he? What exactly did he tell you, then?"

"Not enough, it seems," Jackie sounded exasperated, confused by the situation. "I don't understand. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"I know you aren't exactly ...my... daughter," Pete spoke up, squeezing Jackie closer to his side, "But we need you safe. And we want you to do what's best for you. We just don't think that this," he gestured aimlessly around the room with his free hand. "is what's best for you."

The tinkering behind her had stopped. Loki walked up, just behind her but she could still see him in the corner of her eye. Seeing him again, it renewed her resolve. The gun felt less heavy in her arms, and she felt grounded as her she planted her feet against the tiled floor. Rose's lips drew back, unconsciously baring her teeth, as she let out the breath she'd been holding.

"You people need to stop telling me who to trust. I trust him." Loki's mouth twitched at the words, eyebrows arching slightly. Rose bit back a smile herself, continuing. "I'm sorry that my decision might have hurt any of you, but you can't tell me what not to do. I have the chance to go back to the place where I truly lived. I don't belong here. Not like this. And this is something that I have to do."

A silence ensued. A dozen faces stared back at her, most of them incredulous at what she was saying. Her eyes made their way to the most familiar of the faces, first taking in Jake's ashamed face, then Mickey's grimace, as if her words were physically hurting him. Finally, she saw Jackie. The blonde woman, who usually knew exactly what to say, or at least knew how to continue talking, was speechless. Staring back at her, still worried, Jackie's blue eyes were brimming with tears. Pete was the only one not looking at Rose, and was trying to comfort his wife beside him. Rose felt her knees start to shake, she had no idea what else to say to try and make these people understand.

"She's right," Loki placed a hand on her shoulder, instantly sending a wave of strength through her bones. "You've all seen it. Something is tearing apart the worlds. Your sky is emptying. Stars blinking out of existence." The agents continued staring, unblinkingly. "Perhaps...you haven't noticed. But something is wrong, and we are all in danger. Every realm is. And what Rose has to do could save us."

"Trust us." Rose was unwaveringly determined to continue as butterflies flittered briefly in her stomach at the sound of her name in that frosty voice. It sounded as hard as silver, and yet smooth like molten bronze. "Loki went to great stakes to find this information and now it's our only choice."

Silence fell again as the stand off continued. Another person now made their way from the back of the small crowd. The tall woman, dressed in her business suit and heels. The unknown higher-up.

"I'm afraid we can't do that. Torchwood's job isn't to trust." Her voice was gritty, passing with effort past her shockingly bright red lips.

"It's to save! People will die if we don't do this, and then you'll be ignoring your duty!" It was Rose's turn to sound exasperated. She was desperate for them to understand. Why couldn't they just take a moment to see what she could do?

"No. No, we won't. Put the gun down, Rose." The woman talked down at her, looming from across the room. Rose's grip tightened. "We can talk this through. Test the solution and prepare a safer working environment. We're not the enemy." The woman's voice was friendly now, but spread too thick. Like too much honey, it was almost sickeningly sweet.

"You think I'll fall for that?" Rose stepped out from under Loki's hand, strength remaining even as it fell back to the man's side. "I know you're reverting back to the old Torchwood ways. I saw what you did to Loki. Torture... I can't believe I even have to say this. Torture is not the way to interrogate. That's not what we wanted when we rebuilt Torchwood from the rubble it was left in. The Doctor," the name was out of her mouth before she realized it. She faltered, only for a second. "he'd be ashamed. Of all of us. But we don't have time for any of this. We need to get back, now. How many times do I need to repeat myself? We have to figure out what's happening and in all the universes there is only one man who can tell us what."

"Honey," it was Jackie again, stepping forward, out of Pete's grip. "I am not losing you. Not again."

"Mum..." Rose steps back, almost colliding into Loki. He steadies her as she looks back to meet her mother's eyes. "I can't. I'm already lost." Elbowing Loki slightly, she tilted her face back to meet his cool eyes. "Finish what you've started. I can handle this." Moving her face again, she readjusts her grip on the gun. "Anyone moves, even an inch, I'll see what this baby can do." As Loki peels away from behind her and the new sounds of metal on metal are heard, her gaze returns to her parents. "Please leave, you don't need to risk this."

"I stay where you stay." Jackie said firmly as she stepped back to join her husband. Rose swallowed hard, looking across all the agents. She hitched the gun up to her shoulder.

The entire room fell into silence, broken only by the sounds of a desperate man working.


	13. Chapter 13

The stand off in the Torchwood basement was very awkward, to say the least. Rose was looking uneasily at all the agents spread in front of her, familiar faces spattered amongst them. Her fingers were beginning to cramp from her hold on the gun. She began to worry that it could fall from her grasp just from all the slick sweat that she embarrassedly acknowledge pouring out from her palms. She felt like she was about to break from the pressure when she was relieved by the clearing of a throat behind her.

The working had stopped. Loki stepped up just behind Rose once more, leaning in slightly though he didn't whisper.

"It's done." His silky voice carried over the whole room. The Torchwood and UNIT agents were glancing nervously at each other, more often looking to the woman in the business suit for direction. But her face remained stony as she watched the alien, scrutinizing his every move.

Rose smiled slightly, utterly thankful at the chance to move from her protective stance. Keeping her gun pointed at the audience in front of her, she backed slowly toward the machine behind her, careful not to bump into anything whilst keeping her eyes on the crowd. Reaching a hand back, she felt the cool metal of an invention that was ready to be put to use, whirring with energy and eager to start. She was so close.

And she decided to risk it. Managing to keep her gun hand steady, she tore her eyes from the crowd and searched for Loki's face. He was suddenly right beside her, though she hadn't heard him move. She was used to it from before, but with his injuries she'd thought he could at least sound more human now. Well, this wasn't the first time she'd been wrong about him. Her face broke completely out of it's worried mask, her teeth showing as her lips curled upward. But when she brought her eyes up to his, the mask began to creep back into place. His eyes, which were always so cool and collected, were pained. He seemed barely able to focus on anything, though she knew that he could see her, at least.

"That favour I called in..." his voice turned to gravel as his words were only for her. "It's up. I've finished what I had to do and now I need to... pay up, I suppose you could say. That was the deal." A new sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead, threatening to drip down into his eyes.

Rose's brow furrowed as she bit her lip. She had to fix this. He shouldn't be so worried. He should be happy! They could go back to their homes! Their homes which were... separate. Literally worlds away.

"I could come with you." Her voice was hoarse. The words were familiar coming from her mouth, exactly the thing she'd known she would end up saying. She couldn't resist.

"Not where I'm going," Loki's face was stern, though his lip twitched as if to betray his beliefs with a smile at her words. "This is a world none of you have ever known, one that I barely now. Thanos and his Chitauri..." the words were nonsensical to Rose, and he realized it quickly. "I couldn't let you anywhere near these things."

A slow fire erupted from her belly, but Rose bit her tongue. She knew that he was trying to protect her and wasn't trying to tell her what not to do. Perhaps meeting him just added to the rebellious embers that the Doctor had planted in her. Slowly, turning back to face the almost forgotten audience of agents, she nodded.

"Go stand over there," she cocked her head to the platform the device was aiming at, talking to Loki. "I'll enter the codes for you."

The alien nodded, understanding. He took his place on the empty platform as Rose hitches the gun to rest partly on her hip, freeing a hand to type on the large keypad before her. Recalling the equation, and following what she'd heard Loki muttering, she let her fingers fly across the keyboard. She braced herself, waiting to hear the machine power up, for the stream of light to hit the alien and take him away from her, where she can never see him again. But nothing happened. She raised her eyes from the board, a questioning look comically clear across her face.

"Seven-six-seven-three-space-eight-nine-five-three-seven." He was amused at the expression, some of the pain in his eyes gone as he stared at the seemingly ordinary blonde girl at work a few feet ahead of him.

Rose bowed her head back down, finding the letters that corresponded with the numbers.

"R," she muttered under her breath, "O..."

It was her name. In the midst of this all, he'd thought to make sure her name was a part of the machine, a copy right, a signature. For all this work. She struggled to hit the correct buttons as her fingers trembled.

Hitting the final 'seven', a piercing ringing noise filled the room. From the corner of her eye, Rose could see several men falling to their knees and covering their ears with their hands, guns forgotten on the ground. Everything was suddenly cast in a pale blue glow. But none of that mattered as Rose stared ahead of her at the alien who was staring right back, not even regarding the machine that, if programmed wrong could kill him, and was pointing right at him. The glow became more and more intense as it started solidifying, finding it's target. As it intensified, so did the look on Loki's face. It was an unreadable mix of emotions that created the face Rose knew all too well, from some one just like him. It all became way too much for her. She couldn't take the similarities. She couldn't take another good bye. She couldn't take another person of such importance leaving her without knowing what they meant to her.

Loki began to close his eyes, drinking her face for what he knew was the last time. And that did it for Rose. One second she was behind the key pad. The next, her gun was thrown to the ground and she was in his arms. Pressing her palms against the sides of his face, careful to avoid the red slash across his perfectly white cheekbone, she brought her lips up to meet his. He was almost too tall, but he bent over to make up for the distance, as eager as she was for the touch. His lips, so cool against hers, molded almost perfectly. **Two puzzle pieces, from completely different puzzles, that somehow managed to fit together perfectly. **All of her longings, all of her frustrations and all of her pent up feelings since her day at Bad Wolf Bay were lost as she melted against him.

The ringing became louder and louder, the blue bluer. Rose pulled her face away, looking back up into Loki's eyes. He was free of pain, it seemed, for the moment. He was different. Since he'd shown up in her flat, Rose had never seen Loki seem so alive. And it pained her to bring her hands down to her sides, ready to step back. Taking a breath, she stopped herself, lifting her head to touch lips once more. He brushed his against hers, hand on the back of her head, his breath fresh on her mouth. She wanted to stay like this, no matter what it did to her or where it took her. But she knew better. She touched her mouth to his lightly one last time, melting her lips against his like butter, and then jumped back.

The noise was almost unbearable now, and if anyone tried to talk it would be lost. Rose watched as Loki raised his hands to his lips, lightly touching where hers had just been. He was alive and in disbelief and so utterly happy. He parted his lips, trying to say something above the piercing ringing.

A blinding blue light filled the room, streaming toward Loki. Rose had no choice but to blink, and when she opened her eyes he was gone. The platform was completely empty.

The ringing was gone but there was still noise in the room. New noises. But Rose didn't care about these noises. There were men talking and a woman barking orders. She knew that they would come for her. And she let them. She fell to her knees as the men dressed in black aimed their weapons toward her. Her hands were lifting in the fashion of a surrender before she could stop them. She could hear Jackie above all the din, demanding to see her daughter.

Rose finally looks up when she sees a pair of heels stopping in front of her, shiny and black and impossibly high. The woman in the business suit.

"Well, well, Ms. Tyler. I think now would be a good time for us to have a little chat."


	14. Chapter 14

It was as if someone had wiped their hand across a black and white oil painting, right after the artist had taken away their brush. Before her eyes, the colours were mixing, swirling together into an illegible haze. The colours swarmed around her, rushing left and right, until two sets of pale blurs were reaching towards her. She could feel their firm grasp on her arms as they lifted her to her feet, but still she couldn't tell who was holding her or where they were taking her as they forced her to move forward. Even their voices she couldn't recognize, as everything seemed to become a dull roar pounding against her skull. As she put one heavy foot in front of another, she tried to clear her sight. Blinking furiously, she realized that her obstruction wasn't due to tears. In fact, her eyes were dry as a bone. And yet still the world was a mess around her. Tired of the effort, she closed her eyes and let them be, focusing on the moments before her life turned to hell for the second time.

As hard as she tried, she could no longer feel his lips against hers. She couldn't feel his hands in her hair. She couldn't feel her hands on his steady chest. The only thing she could feel was his piercing gaze. Those cool circles boring into hers. The longing and the fear that passed through them as the world turned blue. She felt her heart warm as she held the memory, determined to never let it slip through her fingers. And determined to never let the memory make her cry.

"Ms. Tyler," a grating voice finally broke through the white noise.

With effort, Rose finally opened her eyes again, her consciousness trying to surface through a pool of molasses. She was in a room she had never seen before, an office. And she was seated in a chair, her hands cupped in her lap and linked by a chain. The woman in the suit was leaning back against the desk in front of her, arms crossed in front of her chest and legs crossed at the heels. The two stayed where they were, unspeaking, for what felt like hours. Rose could feel the accusations and the curses being thrown at her from the guards that were inevitably standing by the door behind her, but paid them no mind. No one's opinions mattered to her, not now, not ever.

"Ms. Tyler," the woman parted her bright red lips, breaking the silence. "We all realize that while we could not stop your friend from using that blasted machine, it will not be put into use again until we know for sure that it's safe." The red widened into a welcoming grin. "We understand your situation and offer you our sympathies, from all of us a Torchwood."

Rose's jaw set, eyes wide. This woman, a woman she didn't know or care to know, was being kind. Well, kind enough, considering one of them was still in handcuffs.

"Why the change of heart?" Her mouth was dry and the words came out like a puff of dust.

"We acted rashly, and we realize this, m'dear." The woman stood up straight and walked briskly around the desk to sit in her leather chair. "The extraterrestrial, who we didn't even know what to do with, is gone now. The problem got rid of itself! If there's one thing we appreciate here, that's efficiency."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The words were out before Rose even realized what she was saying. But being rude wasn't really an issue to her at the moment, and as her breath started to deepen she saw a flicker of surprise and confusion in the woman's eyes. That was, before the woman cast her eyes down and inhaled deeply, her mouth widening again.

"I've forgotten we haven't been properly introduced." She stood from her chair and extended a hand towards Rose. "My name-"

"I don't care." Rose glared at the palm in front of her. She raised her eye line from the hand back to the woman's face and brought up her chin. "You don't deserve to be in charge here. I don't know how it came to be, but people's lives shouldn't be in your hands."

The woman's smile faltered into a scowl as she awkwardly withdrew her hand. She lowered her head again and dusted off her skirt before gesturing for one of the people behind Rose to step forward.

"Agent Smith is going to escort you home now. We'll be contacting you about your future here, and whether or not it will be existent." The woman sat back in her chair, drawing a folder in front of herself, not looking back up.

Rose just stared, barely registering Mickey unlocking her cuffs and tugging at her arm. It wasn't until he pulled her so hard she almost fell that Rose decided to lean forward and open her mouth.

"You will regret everything you've done here today. I swear to it."

"You've been dismissed." The woman still didn't look up, instead just raised a hand and waved it towards the door.

Rose spun on her foot, walking out the open door behind her so quickly that Mickey was stumbling over his own feet trying to catch up. She could hear his breathing from several feet behind her as she almost ran down the corridor.

"Rose! Please, wait!"

There was something in his voice that forced her to stop. She stared up at the ceiling until he rounded in front of her, reaching out to hold one of her hands.

"I'm so sorry about the way this all went down. I never meant for it to happen the way that it did."

Rose gave him a long, hard look. His puppy eyes used to always melt her to the core, but not today. Instead, she did something she never had before. She bitch-slapped him.

"That was for him." She tried to walk past him again but he held onto her arm, cheek steadily reddening.

"I thought he took you, Rose. Again."

It took her a moment to register the words when it hit her. He still wasn't over the first time she left him. The first time she was offered a new view of the world. That explained the violence, the doing before thinking.

"And I thought that you had come to terms with the fact that I was never yours to keep, Mickey." Rose felt like she should be ashamed of her behaviour, but couldn't bring herself to it.

"In the... romantic way, I had. But I still have this urge to keep you safe. How am I supposed to do that when you keep running away?" Mickey felt the shame that she didn't, and he felt it deeply. She wanted to stroke his cheek and tell him everything was going to be alright. But that, as it would always be, would be a lie.

"I'm going home, Mickey. I'm going to see him again. I'm always going to be trying to be there. You have to let me be me, okay?" There. That was the most that she could give him.

Mickey's eyes were watery and lips trembling when he drew her in for a hug. For a moment, they stood there, simply embracing. But the feel of a man against her, his arms around her waist, was too much for her. She stepped back and held him at arms length.

"How about we get home then, eh?" Rose smiled, using up all of the strength she had left to do so, so she could comfort her friend.


	15. Chapter 15

Not twenty minutes later, Mickey's car pulled to a halt in front of Rose's building. The ride had been silent, no words were necessary as the two sat and thought about the events of the past few days. Rose had stared out the window, still not allowing herself to really dwell on the specifics as she was still in the company of another person. In a few moments she'd be back in her own flat, in her own bed and all on her own.

Still without speaking, Mickey escorted her up the elevator and waited patiently as she unlocked the door of her flat. His hovering was sweet, she thought, be she still couldn't stand it for a moment longer. The quiet that had been so comfortable on the way here was now awkward as Rose stood half inside her flat, facing Mickey who was in the hall, with her hand on the door knob.

"Do you need me to stay?" Mickey finally burst out, a flush returning to his cheeks. He was, as Rose was now, recalling the first nights after she first arrived. How she couldn't sleep without hearing the voices. How she couldn't feel safe without someone in the next room. His pajamas were still in her flat, just in case she needed him again, tucked away in her closet.

No. No, they weren't in her closet! Struck by the memory she strode back towards her living room, living Mickey still standing in her doorway.

There they were. Ratty gray pajamas with fraying ends and a hole in the torso, folded as neatly as possible on her couch. Right where the strange man had left them. Another wave of emotion struck Rose as she looked down at the clothing. She tried reaching down to touch them, to feel the soft fabric again, but stopped herself. There was something she had to do before she could give into the feeling of despair.

Straightening up, she hurried back down the hall to where her friend still stood. She rested her hand back on the handle and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I'll be fine on my own," her soft lips struggled into a small smile. "You're a phone call away if I need you?"

"Of course." Mickey's face broke into a grin as well, his seeming a lot more relieved than hers. "I'll see you sometime." He raised a hand and patted her arm twice, not so much an attempt at comforting as much as it was a parting gesture. Without one more glance back up at her eyes, he turned around and headed for the stairs back down to the first floor.

Rose shut the door as quick as she could, locking it before leaning her back against the heavy frame. Her head tilted backward as well, causing all breath that was left in her throat to escape in an exasperated sigh that sounded more like a cry. Her face contorted slightly as she tried to pull herself back together. She simply couldn't let herself go. Couldn't release the emotions that were clawing at the walls of her heart. With as much determinedness and steadiness as she could muster, Rose walked to her wall of windows, drawing the blinds to look at the night sky again. It was the most calming to look at

Stars were still visible in the dark sky, but there was a lightness visible around the edges of the skyline. The buildings looked like they were lined, painted with an outline of red paint. The sun would be coming up soon, hiding the stars. Rose smiled again, not as weakly as before. Every night has to come to an end, no matter how amazing the night had been. It's taken away to somewhere it can't be found again, only to be seen in memories.

It was just the same. Every man who offered Rose the world and beyond was torn away from her. Taken to somewhere she couldn't follow. And here she was, about to watch the sun rise, and all she has are memories. All she can see is past. Of course there are the people still out on the streets, cars hustling down the road as people are still awake from a late night or getting up for an early morning. Of course there will still be the distractions of every day life. Rising and sleeping, eating and walking. But never living.

Never living? Rose chastised herself as she tore herself away from the window and walked toward the kitchen. A cup of tea was what she needed right now, to help her think rationally. She couldn't go through the post-Doomsday depression again. She didn't know if she'd make it through to the other side again. She'd been functional, to some degree, before Loki arrived. And she'd make herself be okay again. She'd let herself lose the control she'd so carefully gained over the past few months in just a day or two of knowing the man! Was that really all it took to break someone down?

Was love really that simple? Did she _love _Loki? Or was she just looking for someone to replace the man she had always known she'd loved? Was he a convenient reminder of what she'd been trying to get back, renewing her passion for her work?

The thoughts haunted her as she leaned over the sink, palms gripping the metal on either side. She saw the tear she'd shed splash into the sink before she felt the wetness on her cheek. She pulled in a haggard breath, too in pain to unclench her jaw or relax her face to stop the tears.

"Mourning for me already?"

Rose turned on the balls of her feet, hair whipping her face as she twirled, bringing her arms up into a defensive position in front of her chest.

There he was. Like a vision out of a dream, smirking in the doorway of her kitchen. Loki, of Asgard, dressed in fresh robes and staring back at her. Rose's face, which had been contorted in pain just a second before, was jubilant, her eyes wide and mouth in the biggest grin she'd ever felt spread her cheeks. She found herself running towards him, arms moving from the position of defense into a welcoming embrace... and ran right through him. Turning to face him again, his figure flickered as he spun to look at her as well.

"You're not here." She stated.

Just like before. Her own flat had become the Bad Wolf Bay.

"I'm just a projection, love. No touchy." He wagged his index finger. His words and actions were light, but his face was grim. His voice didn't match the statement.

"What are you doing here then?" Rose was torn. Her arms reached around her chest as she tried to keep herself together.

"I thought it would be beneficial for you to know the results of our little experiment before you gave it a try." Loki's tone was business like. His hand fell to his side before he moved it behind his back, clasping it in his other. His eyes, as cool as they were in real life, were avoiding hers. He stared deliberately at a point just above her head.

"Where did you land? Are you alright?" His coldness was almost offensive to her.

"I landed where I needed to." He stated crisply. It was too much for her. Rose always had too much passion, too much need for excitement and realism, to let someone treat her this way.

"And where the bloody hell is that!?" Rose advanced a step, her hands digging into her sides. "What the hell was it all for!?"

Her words had the affect she'd desired and the effect was immediate. His mouth form a tight line and he finally looked her in the eyes. His gaze was pleading.

"Rose," He started, dropping his hands to his side and losing his regal stature. "I want to tell you. But I can't be sure this a private conversation."

She bit her lip, looking around her flat. She couldn't see anyone else there.

"This end of the line." He explained, his business tone entirely gone. "I can't say too much. I'm alright, for now. The weather is a bit warm for my taste, but I'm sure I'll be fine." His tight expression eased into a small smile, all for her benefit.

"So," Rose felt bad for her outburst. Her arms finally dropped from the death grip around her chest and she reached a hand up to rub her neck, unsure of where to go next. "The dimension jumper... it'll work? For where I need to go?"

"I believe so, yes." Loki's voice was soft and reassuring, almost a lullaby. But even that couldn't mask the next problem Rose had to face.

"I suppose that means I'll be need to find a way back to my job, then, eh?" Her features made an exasperated grimace which must have looked comical, because Loki let out a soft laugh. The sound was so beautiful it made her grimace turn up into a genuine smile.

"I suppose you will. But I don't think it'll be too hard. You're a smart girl, Rose." The sound of him saying her name, for the first time in so long, was even more breath taking. She couldn't think of anything to say. There was a simple quiet between them, broken only when Loki took a step forward towards her, studying her face. The sun had almost entirely risen, sending a light through the entirety of the flat. They could now properly see each other. "You need to rest."

Rose ducked her head, trying to hide her face with her hair. She knew there were bags under her eyes and worry lines had started to form on her forehead and between her brows. It was embarrassing.

"I can't sleep."

"Why's that?" Loki stepped forward again, trying to see her face, wanting to use his hands to lift it by the chin but unable to.

"The voices." She couldn't tell him before, at the motel, but now there was nothing to lost. "Not in a schizophrenic kind of way. Just... when I first came here, I heard his voice. The Doctor's voice. At first I did think I was crazy but, eventually, he lead me to a beach in Norway. He projected himself, sort of like you do, but it took the power of a supernova to do so. He... he burnt up a sun, just to say goodbye."

Loki was quiet, listening to what she was saying. She could almost hear the voice now. The hope it had given her, and then taken away when it disappeared. But now she felt the need to go on.

"So, I feel like I can hear him again. Beckoning to me, thought it isn't possible. But now I can't sleep, because if I do, I'm not sure that his is the only voice I'll hear."

"What do you mean by that?" He was genuinely confused, trying to sort out the words said to him.

"Nothing." Rose had had enough. She was being silly, at least, she thought so. "How long do you have?"

"Here?" Loki asked, and when Rose nodded he closed his eyes. His real self must be taking over. "A few more moments." He opened his eyes again, and took a step forward. Over the course of the conversation, he had somehow ended up right in front of Rose and was now looking down at her. He raised a hand, long fingers stretched out as if he meant to touch her face.

"Don't be afraid of the voices. Don't be afraid of anything, Rose Tyler. You can do anything. You've helped so many people, including me... and your Doctor will be so lucky to have you back." He dropped his hands as he continued to gaze down at her.

Rose looked back up at him, as if she were looking into the sunlight for the first time after being blind for years. He was almost too much for her to handle, but his gaze back at her softened the effect.

"Loki," She started, not daring to waver in fear of breaking down, "Promise me... to be safe. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, no matter how much I want to. And I couldn't bear to think of you in pain." Loki's eyes flickered away from hers at the thought.

"You must understand, I've lived a very long time. Longer than your Doctor. And I will live as long as I can. But pain is inevitable. People, or whatever beings are out there, are cruel and those who are close to you hold the most power over your well being." His face, if it had the ability to flush through the stark whiteness of his skin, blushed as a new sheen appeared in his icy eyes. "However, I can promise to try."

Rose felt an overwhelming need to embrace him, put his head in her lap and stroke his neck. To tell him that what ever happened to him was over and it everything would always be okay. She even started to raise one of her small hands before remembering that there wasn't anything there for her to touch. Lowering it awkwardly, she placed it back at her side, tightened into a fist. She would never be able to say it would be okay. She didn't know that _she _would be okay. There was nothing else she could say. There was another silence, before Loki jerked suddenly to his left.

"I'm sorry, Rose." He gasped as his eyes closed, the eyeballs moving frantically from side to side under their lids as he saw his other world. "Be safe." His eyes fluttered open again and for a moment she saw panic in his eyes, a world of hurt, before his figure disappeared. Gone.

The tears that she had fought so hard against before broke free. She couldn't feel them and didn't care as she sank onto her living room floor. She brought her knees up under her chin and wrapped her hands around her shin. Rose stayed like this, unmoving, staring at the place where Loki had stood, until the sun was high in the sky. Then, moving her stiff joints from their positions, she took her place by her wall of windows again. There she stayed, watching as the sun made it's way back down behind the London skyline, her apartment steadily darkening. Every thought in the world and no thoughts at all were passing through her mind at every moment. When the sun finally disappeared, Rose rolled on the balls of her feet and turned away.

She blinked, her gaze sliding slowly around her empty flat. She began dragging herself across the room, crossing the hall and entered her bedroom. Reaching beside the doorframe, she flicked on her light, resigned to just falling into her bed and perhaps never getting up.

Before she saw anything, she smelt a distinctly strong, floral scent. It was emanating from all corners of the room. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden light that filled the space, she saw a bouquet of roses lying across her pillow. There was a scattering of rose petals covering every other surface, filling the room with it's delicious smell. She walked up beside her bed, sitting on some of the petals, and stroked the bouquet in front of her.

"They're real!" She whispered incredulously, her voice hoarse. Another grin broke out as she bundled them in her arms and held them close to her face, inhaling the sweet aroma.

Tomorrow, she would go out and buy the most exquisite vos for them to be displayed in. Tomorrow. Another fresh start. Tomorrow would bring a new outlook on life. A new outlook on Torchwood. A new outlook on the entire world and the worlds around it. A new way to get back to her old self. And by the time these roses dried, their namesake would no longer be in this world. She'd be where she belongs.

Rose would do everything she could to be the next one through the dimension cannon. The stars were still disappearing. She would do what the Doctor had showed her that she could be. She could be a hero.

Comforted by her thoughts and the idea of happy ending in her future, Rose slipped out of her sweater and jeans, donning the gray pajamas she'd brought with her from the living room. She slid under the covers of her bed, causing a rush of petals to fall onto the floor around her, and snuggled against her pillows.

As the sandman began grasping her in his clutches, Rose could swear she heard voices. Not the usual ones though. Not instructions to meet or silly exclamations in French. There was only one voice, soft and silky as it seemed to whisper in her ear. She could almost feel it's cool breath tickling the back of her neck, and the feeling was comforting. Finally, peaceful at last, she tumbled into slumber, ready for the new day. As she slept, she could hear the words, spoken in soft, hushed tones, repeating like the most beautiful music playing on repeat.

"As I'm gone, I leave you what's left of my heart. It will only survive if it's left with you. Rose Tyler, defender of all the earths, you will succeed."

The End.


	16. Epilogue

Rose awoke. Her head was heavy and her hair had fallen in front of her eyes. But that didn't matter because, without having to move, she could feel _him. _Every part of her that was in contact with him, even those that weren't, were burning with the closeness. Her back was deliciously warm as he lay against her, his head above hers, with one of his arms draped lazily across her side. She took his hand in hers and started stroking circles on his palm with her thumb. She was happy, in this moment, and knew that she would be for a long time more. Forever, even.

That was, until she felt a familiar sensation in her stomach. Ever since she'd found out, every hunger she felt was much more urgent than before. Be it for food or for the bed, she was feeding for two.

Resignedly, she dropped his hand and peeled herself away from him, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed. Treading silently on the pads of her feet, she walked to the door frame only to pause, and look back on the sight she'd just left.

The Doctor. Her Doctor. In a sense, anyway. Every day she woke up like this and every day she still couldn't believe it. He was back. Not in the way she thought it would be, but he was back. He was hers and she was his. Rose dropped a hand to her stomach and rubbed absentmindedly. She was still waiting for the day she would feel the first kick. The bump was visible, but barely there. She knew from Jackie's recent pregnancy that it would get a lot worse. For now, she'd enjoy just knowing that some of her and some of the person she loved more than anyone in the world was growing inside of her.

Loved more than anyone in the world...

Rose turned and walked off toward the living room. She couldn't say that the Doctor was the only man she'd ever loved. She'd loved Mickey, of course, but never really in the same sense. No... there was another man... a man who was always in the corners of her mind, teasing every thought with his memory.

She still lived in the same flat as when she'd first moved to this dimension. Living here made the memories of him both more familiar, as well as allowing her to relive them as if they were the first time whenever she could.

Rose loved the Doctor, she did. TenToo, she affectionately referred to him as. She belonged with him, her Doctor who was born in the heat of war. But he wasn't the only alien to capture her heart and to know her inside out. This other one, the man in the green, did so in mere days. He was her what if.

What if he'd stayed? What if she'd gone with him? Where would she be? Where would the Doctor be? And her baby? Where would they be?

She would never know, she thought as she walked up to her wall of windows which still stood, blinds open. The sun was just beginning to come up, Rose no longer had the chance to sleep in these days, and the moon was still visible on the other end of the endless sky.

The sun, her Doctor, kept her warm and full of life. The moon, the other, was always following her, reflecting the light of the Doctor and bringing sight to her darkness, the world with out the Doctor.

Whenever she was alone, she had her moon.

Rose lifted a hand and placed it on the cool glass, imaging that somewhere, somehow, the other was doing the same.

She was in love with the Doctor.

But she would always love Loki.

The Bad Wolf and the Frost Giant, across the universes, would never stop loving each other.


End file.
